aerobics

When former professional dancer Carrie Ekins’ body was sidelined to due hip surgery and a wheel chair, her creativity kept flowing. Being restricted to arm and hand exercises only, Ekins randomly began hitting boxes in her basement. This odd development has lead to a new workout trend, Drums Alive.

Eventually Ekins grew strong enough to stand once more and moved from basement boxes to exercise balls, drum sticks, and a variety of upbeat music. Drums Alive was created and found to be more than just a a workout for fitness. Hitting the exercise balls produces immediate stress relief for starters. However, the seemingly primitive routines can also improve coordination. As drumming engages both the left and the right hemispheres of the brain, coordination can be boosted. And finally, current studies have noted that drumming can contribute to increased immune functions along with improved moods and creativity. That’s a lot of punch for one workout session.

Historically known as the “sport for a lifetime,” tennis can be played by just about anyone, at any stage of their fitness journey. It’s a sport that can be both fiercely competitive and completely relaxing. But what are some of the benefits to the player?

Tennis is a highly aerobic sport that burns more calories per hour than aerobic classes, cycling or skating. Men can burn over 500 calories in an hour of game play and women more than 400.

Because it requires alertness and tactical reasoning, it may generate new connections between nerves in the brain. This, according to scientists at the University of Illinois, will promote a lifetime of continuing development of the brain. We all know that brain development is a very good thing!

Kangoo Jumps are a new and improved way to add a different and exciting twist to your current fitness routine. Kangoo Jumps are designed to offer a trampoline-like weightlessness sensation that decreases joint stress. They are being used for jogging, home fitness, athletic training (rehab), physical education in schools, and pleasure.

Kangoo Jumps are a type of workout that is extremely low impact due to the Kangoo boots and offers endless health benefits. The boots used for Kangoo are designed with an Impact Protection System (IPS) which absorbs 80 percent of the impact and provides the best protection for the ankles, knees, hips, lower back, and spine. This type of training is ideal for the gym, home, park, beach, or even gravel roads. You can also use these throughout your normal exercise routine or indulge in one of the Kangoo Jumps fitness classes below.

Water, water, water! How nice is it that water can offer such intense and enjoyable workouts. To me, water aerobics is defined as a non-weight bearing (easy on the joints) resistance and aerobic exercise performed in shallow water. It has since evolved from just walking or jogging forward and backward in the water to jumping jacks and popular cross-country skiing movements.

Water equipment has also become more popular. Water weights, floating belts, and other useful equipment are used to increase water resistance as well as help with flotation and balance. Water aerobics can be performed just about anywhere; from health and fitness clubs to public or private swimming pools to even shallow lakes. All you really need is the motivation and dedication to splash around a little bit (warm weather wouldn’t hurt either). Read Full Post >

Swimming is one of the best non-weight bearing activities out there and I totally recommend implementing a swim routine into your workout. It’s a great way to burn an enormous amount of calories all while having a blast in the water. Non-weight bearing refers to no weight or pressure being forced onto the joints, thus great for those with injuries, arthritis, or pain.

Although indoor pools are somewhat hard to come by, they are definitely worth the small cost to use. You may find indoor pools at your local health or fitness club, university, YMCA, or hotel. Before starting your swimming workouts, here are a few things you should know: Read Full Post >

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The information provided within this site is strictly for the purposes of information only and is not a replacement or substitute for professional advice, doctors visit or treatment. The provided content on this site should serve, at most, as a companion to a professional consult. It should under no circumstance replace the advice of your primary care provider. You should always consult your primary care physician prior to starting any new fitness, nutrition or weight loss regime.